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Puerto Vallarta
after "Kenna" - Update October 30, 2002
 As
promised, I visited Nuevo Vallarta this morning and I was pleasantly surprised
with my observations. The entrance, the streets and the beach areas appeared cleaned
of all debris. I personally visited the following hotels: RIU, Allegro Occidental
Resorts, Mayan Palace and Paradise Village. They are 100% functional. Immediately
following the hurricane, they went to work to clean and repair the minor damages.
The manager of Allegro Occidental Resort, Mr. Jesus Aguirre Plascencia, told me
that even the resort guests pitched in to help in the cleaning and recovery process.
At Mayan Palace, with the exception of a few beach areas,
it looks like nothing happened there. They are fully operational and conducting
business as usual, and guests were enjoying the pool area, dining at the restaurant,
and playing volleyball on the beach. Also, the sales room was full of North American
families interested in purchasing memberships for future vacations. Golfers will
be pleased to know that the golf courses did not suffer any damage, the fairways
are free of obstacles, and the greens are smooth and waiting for putters.
The shopping center in Nuevo Vallarta is also open as usual, and I saw a lot of
tourists browsing and purchasing merchandise. With the exception of two hotels,
Nuevo Vallarta is another indicator that this area is fine, alive and kicking,
and ready for the high tourist season. Tomorrow, we will upload photos of this
area, so come back for updates. Feel free to come with
all your family and friends and lots of money. The weather is just perfect now.
Vallarta and the whole Bay of Banduras welcome you! Let's
Go2Vallarta! The Editor Vallarta
is recovering photo album click here Kenna
Photo Gallery click here
Puerto
Vallarta after "Kenna" - Update October 29, 2002.  After
personally walking through the romantic downtown zone and the hotel zone of Puerto
Vallarta, I would like to gladly concur with our President and report that 90%
of our businesses are still standing and functional. This is not to make light
of the 10% who have suffered greater damage. We are preparing for high season
as per usual and do not anticipate a problem in this regard.
Through this column, you will see how Puerto Vallarta is recovering after Hurricane
Kenna. Many of us did not comprehend the severity of the storm, and thanks to
God, our location is one, which is protected from severe weather systems, due
to our proximity to the mountains, and because of this, we did not suffer as much
damage as some other areas north of us did. Most of
those places affected by the hurricane were businesses, but there were some residences
close to the hotel zone, which were affected by flooding primarily. In reality,
Hurricane Kenna did not hit Vallarta as predicted and what we actually received
was a very small part of it; however, to be here at that time was extremely scary,
especially for those living near the ocean. We are all now working hard to clean
the city and resume all vital services. Some restaurants
such as La Palapa and El Dorado, which are located at Los Muertos Beach have to
rebuild. Other ones, such as The Sheraton, The Holiday Inn, Los Tules, Fiesta
Americana, Rosita, and El Pescador hotels, among others, will require major repairs.
Despite this, most of the other affected places require major cleaning as the
means of recovery and repair from Hurricane Kenna in order to resume business
as usual. If you have a trip planned to Vallarta in the
near future, do not be afraid to come. Our suggestion is to first contact your
travel agent to confirm that your hotel is in operation. If it is not, they will
make alternate arrangements for you. Our view is that you should still come on
your holiday here. With the exception of one street closure at the Malecon downtown
and a few of the beaches, the rest of the city is open and available for your
enjoyment. Puerto Vallarta is posed for your photographs and still boasts incredible
beauty for you to enjoy and share. We know you will give positive recommendations
of our town to your family and friends.  I
have not had the chance yet to personally visit Nuevo Vallarta; however, I have
been advised that as per usual, Mr. Graciano Sobernigo, owner of Paradise Village,
immediately took action with his workers to clean all residual effects of the
hurricane in the area. Because of his involvement, I feel confident in saying
that Nuevo Vallarta is also available to receive tourists.
Tomorrow, I will personally visit this area and provide you with an update in
this column. The roads connecting Puerto Vallarta with adjoining towns are in
good condition, as is the airport. Thank God Puerto Vallarta
is fine and as usual, it looks beautiful. If you don't believe me, just take a
look at our photographs that I personally
took of some of the areas. Keep visiting us and recommend this site for more updates.
See more photos Sincerely,
The Editor. Vallarta
is recovering photo album click here Kenna
Photo Gallery click here
PUERTO
VALLARTA CONVENTION & VISITOR'S BUREAU
HURRICANE KENNA - UPDATE- October
29, 2002. The Destination's Number One Resource - Its
Amicable People -
Lead the Effort to Welcome Guests PUERTO
VALLARTA, JALISCO, October 29, 2002 - Information from Puerto Vallarta in the
aftermath of Hurricane Kenna is positive. According to initial reports, Kenna
has not caused any significant damage to the major resort destination of Puerto
Vallarta. Although some storm surges had been reported, there have been no reports
of major structural damage or injuries and Puerto Vallarta is utilizing its number
one resource, its amicable people, to jumpstart the destination's resurgence.
"The unification of our entire population has been
amazing. From taxi drivers and airport staff to hoteliers and shop owners, this
destination is pulling together to welcome guests," said Dennis Whitelaw,
president of the Puerto Vallarta Board of Tourism. "We're known for our 'remarkable
amiability' and it shows in this effort. The city is back up and running; the
good attitude and demeanor of the people is what is making this effort strong."
With Monday's visit of President Vicente Fox to Puerto
Vallarta, the destination has certainly rallied for a quick clean-up. The clean-up
efforts, led by the Governor of the State of Jalisco, Francisco Ramirez Acuna,
are moving full-steam ahead with great support. "The local government is
on board, the state government is on board and the federal government is on board,"
said Whitelaw. "This is true unification for tourism." The Secretary
of Tourism Leticia Navarro will visit on Tuesday. The
tourism infrastructure fared the storm well as each of the resorts in the hotel
zone and marina remain without major incident, and over 90% of the resorts are
operating under normal conditions. The remaining 10% (about 1,600 rooms) are in
a concentrated effort to restore what was affected. A process, Whitelaw states,
will take about, "two to three weeks." The
charming 'Malecon' boardwalk promenade took in a bit of storm surge, however,
the rain has long since stopped, the sun is shining and shop owners and essentially
"cleaning up," according to Whitelaw. "We
received some water and general cosmetic damage, some trees were blown about,
and swimming pools soon became infinity pools, but overall, Puerto Vallarta weathered
the storm pretty well. From an overall resort opinion, in 7-10 days the destination
will look good to visitors." Immediate actions were
taken to ensure the safety of tourists visiting the various destinations throughout
the popular tourist destination. Officials shut down coastal highways in Jalisco
state -- home to Puerto Vallarta -- as the storm approached. In addition, most
hotels provided stranded guests with discounted rates for their "extended"
stay. The hotels implemented hospitality areas for their guests and of course,
advised them from going outdoors. Puerto Vallarta's International Airport remained
closed from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and has been open again for operation of major
airlines that have started their scheduled operation. During the storm, the airport
was closed and passengers were accommodated with special rates offered by various
hotels. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said
the storm hit land near the fishing and tourist town of San Blas, about 120 miles
north of Puerto Vallarta. Sustained winds dropped to 140 mph (225 kph) before
the storm made landfall, then slipped further to 80 mph (130 kph) as the storm
raced into north-central Mexico in the direction of Texas at 24 mph (39 kph).
Puerto Vallarta, located in the State of Jalisco, is
situated on the Mexico's Pacific Coast. Puerto Vallarta was selected by CONDE
NAST TRAVELER readers as the eighth best destination in the world in their annual
"Reader's Choice Awards" in the November 2001 issue, as well as number
one international destination because of the "remarkable amiability of the
local folk." Puerto Vallarta was the only destination in Mexico that made
the list. Located on the Western Pacific coast of Mexico
in the state of Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta's charm remains largely undiscovered,
along with its cobblestone streets, stunning beaches, plentiful marine life, lush
Sierra Madre Mountains, exceptional restaurants, fine Gourmet Festival, new golf
courses and vibrant art culture. For more information about Puerto Vallarta, call
your travel agent or toll-free at 888-384-6822, or direct at (52) 322 22 41175;
FAX: (52) 322 22 40915. Log on at www.visitpuertovallarta.com Vallarta
is recovering photo album click here Kenna
Photo Gallery click here
To
Puerto Vallarta residents and/or busineses: Following
"Kenna's" visit, most of our future visitors want to know whether they
should cancel their visit to Puerto Vallarta or not. Tell
the world about your current status. Let them know if you're open for business,
click here to send
us your latest report, notices and suggestions so that all our future visitors
may read them for themselves. Remember,
we get over 60,000 real visits per month, and even more nowadays due to the events
of last Friday. | 
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